Slip Trip and Fall - Claims Management

​​How an organization handles an accident or incident can have a significant impact on the ultimate cost of a claim.

Prepare Your Employees and/or Volunteers

Train employees and/or volunteers on what to do if someone slips, trips or falls while on your premises. It is prudent to advise them that they should not discuss liability with potential claimants. They should never admit fault on behalf of the organization. Instead, they can say, “I’m not permitted by my employer to discuss the circumstances of the incident. I will, however, be reporting the incident immediately, and an authorized person will contact you.”

In the Event of a Slip, Trip or Fall

Record the names and contact information of the injured person(s) and any witnesses. Obtain and record detailed descriptions of the incident from the victim(s) and witnesses.

Refer any discussions with the claimant to your insurer.

Take pictures of the area where the incident occurred. If possible, photograph the footwear that the claimant was wearing.

Complete an incident report. Documenting the incident may help to establish a defense for a claim presented at a later date, help analyze the cause of the incident and help recommend risk management improvements to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Report the incident to your insurer. Provide them with:

Details of the incident

Information about steps that had been taken to avoid the incident.

Investigate potential causes and take steps to prevent and/or respond better to similar incidents in the future.

Additional Resources

Many provinces have occupiers’ liability ​legislation. Common-law provinces interpret the law of occupiers’ liability based on legal precedent and the laws of negligence, while in Quebec the law is codified in the Civil Code.